Grim Dawn Grim Misadventures #102: Expansion Monsters

As patch v1.0.0.6 grows closer to release, Grim Dawn designer Zantai has taken to the game's forums to treat us to Grim Misadventures #102, which starts to spill some initial information about the expansion they're actively developing for the well-received action RPG. The new creatures we'll be doing battle with are on tap in this entry:

An entire expansion has been in the works for some time now, and today we are pleased to begin unveiling some of what’s in store for you in Grim Dawn’s first expansion.

Beyond new areas to explore and items to find, new threats will arise for you to tackle. And the Aetherials have not been idle while you dealt with the vile Cult of Ch’thon. Far from where human eyes can see, their flesh shapers have been busily crafting new soldiers for their conquest of Cairn.

Aetherial Imps

The first of these new creations are the foul Aetherial Imps. Do not let their small stature fool you into a false sense of confidence. Their claws are sharp and their bodies full of bile. They move swiftly across the battlefield, unlike many of the slower reanimated Aetherial corpses, and hungrily devour any living thing that isn’t quick enough to evade their reach.

In many ways, they seem unlike the other creations of the Aetherials, not of singular purpose as the shambling corpses, but also not as conspiring as the reanimators and their ilk. How these corruptions came to be is a secret known only to the master flesh shapers.

Ugdenbog Spikeshell

It is said that travel north from Burrwitch is often faster than when traveling south. This phenomenon is largely due to the thorn-filled woods and toxic Ugdenbog that stretches far beyond the northern walls of the village. Carriage drivers whip their horses into a gallop; lone travelers go about with a hand on the hilt of their swords. Veer too far from the road and you may not be seen again as you vanish into the noxious fumes and bubbling waters.

If the sinking mud and pockets of poisonous gases won’t get you, then the wildlife surely will.

The tenacious spikeshells thrive in this environment, and they are known to hunt down human prey when the opportunity arises. Their naturally tough shells make tackling even one a tough battle. Wiping out the entire population would require a concerted effort, and the Grim Dawn saw to making that a logistical impossibility. The spikeshells thrive in this new untamed world.

Nobody goes into Ugdenbog willingly unless they have a death wish, or if they wish to disappear...